Local Governmental Polls or Regional Voting Events - Response in the Northeastern Region: Limited objectives and boundary marking
As per the remarks of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Minister President Manuela Schwesig, the election outcomes in Saxony and Thuringia are "alarming." The SPD politician expressed her concern, stating, "It's a dreadful situation for all democrats when a party labeled as extreme right gains the most influence in Thuringia." Following the initial projections, she noted that in Saxony, people stand by their Minister President during challenging times.
In contrast, the SPD has managed to meet its "minimum expectation." Schwesig lauded the efforts of the campaigners in both Thuringia and Saxony who had to face a strong federal trend.
The Green faction leader Katharina Horn highlighted that for the first time in the Federal Republic's history, the AfD, an extreme-right, anti-democratic party, has emerged as the strongest force in a state parliament. Additionally, she noted that extremists and Putin supporters also performed well in Saxony. Horn and her co-faction leader Ole Krüger are now advocating for constructive discussions among democrats to build a stable government.
According to the CDU faction leader in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament, Daniel Peters, the Christian Democrats remain the last people's party in the East. Despite the excitement over the CDU's victory, he acknowledged that forming the government in Erfurt and Dresden will be intricate. Left parties and alliances have experienced severe consequences.
According to Leif-Erik Holm, the AfD state chairman in Saxony and Thuringia, the election results represent a "political earthquake." People's desire for different policies cannot be ignored anymore. Holm stated, "The citizens are tired of political control and are eager for change." As a result, they backed the AfD – not out of protest, but out of conviction.
Holm asserted that there will be no "business as usual" when dealing with the AfD. Therefore, he encourages other parties, including Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, to respect the voters' wishes and abandon the "divisive mentality."
The election results in Saxony also demonstrated a significant shift, with extremists and supporters of Putin performing well, resulting in a heavy reliance on the anti-democratic AfD party.
Given the political earthquake in Thuringia and Saxony, forming a stable government will require heavy negotiations and compromises among the remaining democrat parties, acknowledging the voters' concerns and desires.
